Hansjörg Höltkemeier, the President of the European Lotteries, commented on the appointment: “We are very pleased to have a recognised expert such as Arjan to fill this role. His sector experience is unmatched, he knows our Association and our members. He is already familiar with our team and our renewed strategy. I am confident that he will be the key driver to reach our targets and to support our sector in challenging times”. “I am very honoured to have been appointed for this role. The European Lotteries Association stands before an important crossroads – stakeholders and the general public are changing their attitudes towards gambling, players and games are more than ever technology-driven, regulators are shifting their paradigms. Within the European Lotteries Association, members and suppliers are also getting new roles and responsibilities. Creating value for our members and important stakeholders such as players in the different countries, members, suppliers and regulators will be an important task in my new role”, says Arjan van ‘t Veer.

Commenting on the kick-off of the ASPIRE project, EL President, Hansjörg Höltkemeier noted: “Commitment to society has always been a cornerstone of our model. As European Lotteries, we are deeply concerned by the current refugees’ crisis and we believe that sport and play activities constitute an excellent tool for the social integration, empowerment and trauma relief of refugees. We are positive that the ASPIRE project will have a lasting societal impact and EL is looking forward to be actively involved in this significant initiative.”

Excerpt from Sarah Harrison speech - The Edelman trust barometer tracks public trust in business, governments, NGOs and the media. The 2017 survey reveals that trust is in crisis around the world. As with any business sector, the gambling industry’s longer-term sustainability is hugely reliant on trust - a recognition that customers using products and services are valued, respected and treated fairly. Respect in this context, manifests itself in a number of ways: how operators write and present terms and conditions, how they handle complaints, how they act towards consumers who are vulnerable and so on .….. Building consumer trust and confidence are key themes for the Commission, as we develop our forward strategy over the coming year we are fortunate in that we have a strong basis of the licensing objectives on which to build – keeping gambling safe, fair and free from crime.